Various groups and individuals involved in civil society came together in Anguilla from Tuesday this week in observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, at a two-day workshop and rally in condemnation of this violent ill-treatment of women and girls by men.

Workshop Opening ceremony at Police Headquarters

At the same time, it was observed that there were also certain forms of violence suffered by men, but overall, it was stressed that women were the most abused persons not only in marriage and other love relationships, but in various ways in society as well.

The Domestic Violence Intervention Training Workshop was organised by several groups and individuals making up the Family Hope Network chaired by Dr. Phyllis Fleming-Banks and including the Royal Anguilla Police Force. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Fleming-Banks said that the workshop was first launched in Anguilla in August, 2001 as part of a regional project developed by the Caribbean Association for Feminist Action and Research in collaboration with the Caribbean Association of Commissioners of Police, UNIFEM and the Caribbean Development Bank.

Two of the persons trained to conduct the workshop were Clive Smith of the Social Development Department and Sergeant Chrispen Gumbs of the Police Force, the latter of whom has been succeeded by Training Officer Sergeant Annette Duncan. Working with them, to facilitate the workshop, were representatives of the Family Hope Network, Dana Ruan, Monique Rey and Rev. Lindsay Richardson.

“This awareness building workshop focuses on understanding the nature, causes and costs of domestic violence, as well as detecting and assessing the abuse,” Dr. Fleming-Banks stated.

Dr. Fleming-Banks noted that gender violence was affecting at least one out of every three women around the world. “We still need [the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women] because up to half the female population in the world experience domestic violence on a daily basis,” she stressed.
Commissioner of Police, Keithly Benjamin, said that there had been 188 cases of domestic violence against women in Anguilla during this year. He noted however that despite that number, domestic cases were by far under-reported.

Principal Assistant Secretary, Kenneth Hodge, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Minister’s Office which has responsibility for Human Rights and Gender Affairs, described violence against women and girls as a problem of pandemic proportions. “Every three women around the world have been beaten, coerced into sex and otherwise abused in their lifetime,” he stated, adding that it was perhaps the most pervasive human rights violation known today, devastating lives, fracturing communities and stalling development.

Not to be undone by the two-day workshop, the Soroptimist Club of Anguilla, in conjunction with the Chief Minister’s Office, held a rally at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Tuesday evening at which there were a number of speakers on various forms of violence against women. Those who spoke were Kenneth Hodge, Dr. Pat Ellis of Barbados, Dr. Phyllis Fleming-Banks, Dr. O. M. Linda Banks, Magistrate Bernie Stephenson-Brooks and Ursil Webster-Brooks.

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